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ESPN Officially Hires Ray Lewis

BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 06: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens get emotional during an interview after defeating the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 6, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Ray Lewis. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Ray Lewis will keep on talking now that his playing career is over.

ESPN officially announced Wednesday that the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be joining the network as a studio analyst. The 37-year-old Lewis revealed in January that he would retire after 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and the fearsome linebacker went out with a Super Bowl title.

Lewis will travel to the site of each week’s “Monday Night Football” matchup to take part in pregame and postgame coverage. He will also appear on “Sunday NFL Countdown” and ESPN Radio.

Lewis says “I’m ready to bring the same level of passion to this next phase of my life as I brought to the field during my years as a player.”